Study Uses Data From Birdwatchers to Find Regional Fire Effects on Bird Populations

by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
September 2, 2025

A new study published today in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment leveraged participatory science to reveal regional variation in bird responses to fire across the continental United States in unprecedented detail. These results can help refine fire management techniques to bolster bird populations.

The researchers analyzed data for six bird species of conservation concern whose habitat needs have a tangible impact on fire management decision-making. They unveiled clear, highly detailed regional variation in the ways that wildfire impacts bird populations. For instance, population abundance of Red-cockaded Woodpeckers—a Yellow Alert Tipping Point species protected under the Endangered Species Act—showed the strongest positive responses to frequent fire in Louisiana and North Carolina compared to other states in the southeastern U.S.

On the other hand, the analysis also revealed opposite impacts in different areas of the U.S.:  populations of American Goshawk—a hawk species known to be sensitive to fire—in California and Colorado were more abundant in areas that hadn’t seen fire in a long time, while populations in Idaho were less abundant as time passed since the last wildfire. This kind of detailed information may help fire managers refine when, where, and how often they should use prescribed fires.

Keep reading: https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/study-uses-data-from-birdwatchers-to-find-regional-fire-effects-on-bird-populations/

Read the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/fee.70003